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Senator Barbara Boxer’s Amendment to Overturn Global Gag Rule Passes in the Senate
On Tuesday, April 5, Senator Barbara Boxer’s amendment to the Department of State Reauthorization bill to overturn the Global Gag Rule (also referred to as the Mexico City Policy) passed by a 52-46 vote in the Senate. A similar amendment must also be passed in the House, and not vetoed by the President (which he has said he will do) in order to take effect.
The Global Gag Rule was first put into place by President Reagan in the 1980s. It bars US financial assistance from going to any program around the world unless they agree not to offer abortion services or counseling about abortion, even if they do so with their own funds. During the 1990s, the Gag Rule was repealed, but George W. Bush re-instated the rule as one of his first official acts in the White House in 2001.
Since that time, there have been several indications that US policies on reproductive health are unhealthy for women. International Planned Parenthood Federation Director-General Steven Sinding recently reported that: “…policies emanating from this administration…have led to more unwanted pregnancies around the world, more deaths from pregnancy-related causes and more HIV infections and more unsafe abortions.”
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